Lee Jun-young

2014–2016: Career beginnings with U-KISS

On May 15, 2014, NH Media announced new member Jun to the public via U-KISS's official Korean website. On June 2, 2014, Jun made his debut with U-KISS and the group released its 9th mini album Mono Scandal along with the 19+ rated music video of the album's title track "Quit Playing". In the same year, U-KISS also released their 9th Japanese single album LOVE ON U and kicked off U-KISS JAPAN LIVE TOUR 2014, which was held in Nippon Budokan, effectively starting Jun's career in Japan.^[4] In December 2014, U-KISS made another comeback with their 10th Japanese single album Sweetie.^[5]

In 2015, U-KISS started the year with 10th mini album Always, followed by their 4th Japanese regular album Action in March and 11th Japanese single album Stay Gold in September. In 2016, U-KISS made another comeback with 12th Japanese single album Kissing to feel, 5th Japanese regular album One Shot One Kill, 11th mini album Stalker, and 13th Japanese single album PaNiC!.^[6][7] Unfortunately, the 11th mini album Stalker was the last Korean comeback Jun had with U-KISS until his contract ends in 2021, since NH Media decided to focus on Japanese market entirely.^[8]

2017–2021: UNB and acting breakthrough

In 2017, Lee debuted as an actor in the tvN Wednesday-Thursday drama Avengers Social Club. It was based on the webtoon titled "Buam-dong Avengers Social Club" by Sajatokki, serialized on Daum. He played the role of Lee Soo-gyum, a third-year student at Saebit High School and the youngest member of the Bokja Club. Lee Soo-gyum was the illegitimate child of Lee Byung-soo (played by Choi Byung-mo) and he had a decisive role in leading Kim Jung-hye (played by Lee Yo-won) to form the Bokja Club. He was also the actual brain behind the Bokja Club, and he joined the club to take revenge on his father, who used him to secure the company's succession.^[9]

On October 28, 2017, Lee joined the survival program The Unit.^[10] During the audition, he performed "Dang Dang Dang", a hip-hop rap song by Supreme Team, and received the first Super Boot evaluation on the show from the audience. He was ranked 6th in the first week, 3rd in the second week, and 2nd in the third week of the interim ranking result.^[11] However, on the first official ranking announcement, he took the 1st rank and was consistently holding the rank thereafter. In the final announcement, he was ranked 1st of the Top 9, debuting as the center.^[12] He also made it to 3rd place on the Non-Drama Performers Category list by Good Data Corporation during the show's final week.^[13] He then promoted with UNB, which consisted of finalists from the show, from April 7, 2018, to January 27, 2019.

From April to May 2018, Lee appeared as "Compass" on MBC's TV program King of Mask Singer. In the first round, he performed a duet with Lee Sang-hoon of "It Was Like That Then". For the second round, he performed a solo cover version of "Eraser". In May 2018, he made his second acting appearance as Han Min-soo in the MBC television series Goodbye to Goodbye (2018) and received a Best New Actor award at the 2018 MBC Drama Awards.^[14] On April 10, 2019, Lee released his first Japanese solo single "Phenomenal World", which explored the futurepop genre. He performed his first solo showcase in Tokyo on February 4. Prior to the release, he also held a series of concerts on April 6 in Osaka and April 8 in Tokyo.^[15][16] Tower Records Japan ranked "Phenomenal World" as the #7 best-selling Japanese single by a Korean artist for the first half of 2019.^[17][18] He then starred in the OCN television series Class of Lies, which aired from July 17 to September 5.^[19] On November 6, he released both a Korean and Japanese version of his solo single "My Way", for which he wrote the lyrics. The single featured rapper Reddy and was produced by Sway D, accompanied by two music videos.^[20][21] After a digital download was released on October 30, the Japanese version ranked #2 on the dwango.jp K-POP Life Weekly Singles Chart.^[22] On November 28, he released his first Korean solo single "TELL" composed by himself as a pre-release for his album Gallery. On December 5, he made his solo debut in Korea with the title track "Curious About U" and the single album Gallery. ^[23]

In 2020, Lee released his first solo Japanese mini album “22” on January 22, which was also his birthday. In this album, he tackles six songs with different expressions, from softly sung ballads to stylish rap songs and mature dance numbers. He showed off his vocal ability with the ballad "Circle of Love" and sharp movements with the cool singing and dancing in "Come Alive". He also showcased his composing ability with “Gravity”.^[24]

Also in 2020, he acted in the musical Swag Age: Shout out, Chosun! and received a Best New Actor award at the fifth Korea Musical Awards. In April 2020, he played Kang Woo-won in the SBS drama Good Casting (2020), which was entirely pre-produced. In June 2020, he made a special appearance in the SBS drama Backstreet Rookie as a high school student who stole a college student's overcoat to buy cigarettes. In October 2020, he acted in the MBC Every 1 drama Please Don't Date Him. He participated in the soundtrack for the drama with the single "To you who will be tired". On October 7, he released his new Korean single "Amen", which explored his interest in rap and hip-hop.

In May 2021, Lee starred in the KBS2 drama Imitation (2021) as Kwon Ryok, a talented idol-actor and center of fictional idol group SHAX.^[25] As a SHAX member, he participated in the songs "MALO", "AMEN", and "Your Sign (SHAX ver)". In the first two mentioned songs, he mainly took over the rap.^[26][27][28] As Kwon Ryok, he participated in the song "Your Sign" with the cast and "My Old Story" sung in duet with Jiyeon of T-ARA. All the songs are available on various music streaming services.^[29][30]

After departing NH Media in August, Lee announced in November that he co-founded a new company, J-flex, which will serve as his current agency for his acting projects.^[31] In August 2021, he appeared in the third episode of the Netflix series D.P. as deserter Jung Hyun-Min. In order to digest the intense action scenes, he learned boxing with actor Jung Hae-in, who played Ahn Jun-ho in the series, for a few months at an action school before filming. As the action scenes were shot without a stunt double, he received praise for his swift and accurate movements.^[32][33] In November 2021, he starred in the SBS drama Let Me Be Your Knight as Yoon Tae-in, a songwriter and vocalist of fictional band LUNA. As a member of LUNA, he sang several songs: "Beautiful Breakup", "Midnight Fantasy", "Let Me Be Your Knight", "Love Paranoia", and "Rock & Roll Tonight".^[34] He also sang a song titled "Love One Day" by himself.^[35]

2022–2024: Rising popularity

In February 2022, Lee starred in the Netflix movie Love and Leashes, an adaptation of the webtoon titled "Moral Sense" on the topic of BDSM. He starred alongside Seohyun (Jung Ji-woo) as Jung Ji-hoo, a newly transferred assistant manager from the business team. Outwardly, he is a nice and popular superior, but inwardly, he hides secret desires.^[36] In October 2022, he starred in the MBC drama May I Help You, alongside Hyeri. The drama was filmed from June 1, 2022 to December 9, 2022 and aired every Wednesday-Thursday at 21.50 KST. He played the role Kim Tae-hee, who referred to himself as the 100-won butler that can do any kind of errand as long as you paid him.^[37][38] He also sang an OST titled "A Fine Day" for this drama.^[39]

In 2023, Lee starred in the movie Brave Citizen, based on the webtoon of the same name. He starred alongside Shin Hye-sun (So Si-min) as Han Su-gang, a high school bully that's described as a vicious villain that has never been seen before. The filming period was from December 30, 2021 to April 5, 2022 and the movie became available in theaters starting from October 25, 2023.^[40][41] In August 2023, he appeared as the villain in the fourth episode of the Netflix series Mask Girl. His acting in Brave Citizen and Mask Girl earned him the Best Acting Performance Award at the 2023 Asia Artist Awards.^[42]

In January 2024, Lee starred in the Netflix movie Badland Hunters alongside Ma Dong-seok, Lee Hee-joon, and Roh Jeong-eui. In February 2024, he starred in the Disney+ series The Impossible Heir alongside Lee Jae-wook.^[43] In May 2024, he starred in the TVING series Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale alongside Pyo Ye-jin.^[44]

2025-present: Breakthrough to mainstream, music comeback, and further success

In February 2025, Lee made a cameo appearance in the tvN and TVING historical drama The Queen Who Crowns. He was praised for his wonderful portrayal of King Sejong in his first historical drama role.^[45] In the same month, he starred in the Netflix series Melo Movie as Hong Si-jun, an aspiring musician who met Son Ju-a (Jeon So-nee) again, his ex-girlfriend of seven years. He showcased his singing skills by performing the OST titled "Under Sunset" entirely in English.^[46][47]

In March 2025, Lee starred in a supporting role as Park Young-beom, the first love of IU's character Yang Geum-myeong, in the Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines.^[48][49] He was recognized in the buzzworthy Drama Performer Category by Good Data Corporation, ranking 4th in the third week of March and 8th in the fourth week.^[50] He also appeared in the Netflix series Weak Hero Class 2 as antagonist character Geum Seong-je, which aired on April 25.^[51] At the 2025 Fundex Awards, he received a double nomination in the Best Supporting Male Performer on OTT Category for his role in those two works, and eventually won it for his role in Weak Hero Class 2.^[52][53]

Lee received praise for his role in multiple romance works, earning him the title of "Romance Master". His ability to seamlessly transition between genres and roles, including villainous characters in recent years, showcased his versatility as an actor. Critics hailed his performance as a "rediscovery of Lee Jun-young's talent".^[54][55] Due to his frequent appearances in OTT series, he is sometimes referred to as "OTT Prince", "OTT Son", or "OTT Civil Servant".^[56][57]

Lee then starred in the KBS2 drama Pump Up The Healthy Love (2025) alongside Jung Eun-ji as Do Hyeon-jeong, a gym manager who transformed his life through exercise despite being born smaller than the size of a 1.5-kilogram dumbbell.^[58] For this role, he won the Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries from the 2025 KBS Drama Awards.^[59] He also won the Popularity Award and Best Couple Award (with Jung Eun-ji) along with receiving a nomination for the Top Excellence Award for an Actor.^[60][61]

On September 22, Lee made a comeback as a singer with his first mini album "Last Dance". The album contains two title tracks, the hip-hop track "Bounce" with its tight beat and the ballad "Why are you doing this to me" that combines his solid vocals and explosive singing ability. He also participated in writing and composing the track "Mr. Clean", showcasing his evolved musical abilities with a rich musical palette and emotional depth.^[62] Since the album consisted of various genres such as dance, ballad, and hip-hop, its 180-degree different charms proved his limitless musical spectrum and ability as an all-rounder.^[63]

From August to October 2025, Lee appeared in the MBC TV variety show Hangout with Yoo for its ’80s Seoul Music Festival project. He appeared in the episodes that built up towards the festival’s climax, with key episodes including the song selection and performance broadcasts.^[64] During the festival, Lee delivered a standout live rendition of the classic song "I MISS YOU". He drew widespread praise from audiences and fellow cast members alike, while viewers loved his energetic performance and stage presence.^[65] He secured both the Grand Prize (judged by industry seniors) and the Popularity Award (voted by netizens) on the show.^[66] In recognition of winning the Popularity Award, an official music video for the song "I MISS YOU" was released following the broadcast.^[67] He also rose to 4th place on the Non-Drama Performers Category list by Good Data Corporation, reflecting the strong public response to his performance and overall presence in the project.^[68]

In May 2026, Lee took on a double role as the titular character in the JTBC drama Reborn Rookie. For his performance, where he portrayed a soul swap between 27-year-old soccer player Hwang Jun-hyeon and 72-year-old conglomerate chairman Kang Yong-ho, he received endless praise from critics and audiences for his solid acting skills and seamless synchronization with his co-stars.^[69] The series finale went on to record 13.6% in nationwide viewership ratings, becoming one of the highest-rated dramas in Korean cable television history and with Lee's performance credited as the driving force behind its commercial success.^[70][71][72]

Martial arts

Lee holds a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo, a third-degree black belt in special forces martial arts (Teukgongmoosol), and a third-degree black belt in Hapkido.^[73] He has been training in MMA (mixed martial arts) since 2021 after he felt his action scenes for D.P. were inadequate.^[74] He also started learning boxing at the gym run by Ma Dong-seok after they acted together in Badland Hunters.^[75]

Agency

After his contract ended with NH Media in June 2021, Lee jointly founded J-flex Entertainment with his former manager, Shim Hwa-seok, in November of the same year. In June 2023, the company was acquired by Blade Entertainment.^[76] After several small scale mergers, the company changed its name to Billions in June 2024.^[77]

Model citizen

On August 25, 2021, Lee helped the police arrest a drunk driver. He was driving to his home in Uijeongbu when he noticed the car ahead of him swerving dangerously. He honked twice to alert the driver, thinking they might have been sleep-deprived, but to no avail. He decided to call the police on the suspicion of drunk driving.^[78] The police asked for his help in following the suspect. He gave consent for the police to track his phone's location and then chased the suspect for more than an hour. After the chase was done, he cooperated with the investigation by turning over his car's black box to the police. The incident made headlines three days later on August 28. Since Lee had no agency or manager at the time, the statement came from his former agency, NH Media.^[79] He was to be awarded the Model Citizen Award, but turned it down since "it didn't feel right", citing that he did not do it "out of a sense of duty".^[80]

Stage name

As a singer, Lee debuted under the stage name "Jun" with U-KISS. He also won first place on the KBS audition program The Unit and was a member of the project group UNB under this stage name. As an actor and soloist, he uses his real given name. He also worked as a painter under the name "Jun0".^[81] In 2025, he revealed his dancer name as "Leeberty", which he usually uses during dance battles.^[82][83]

Military service

On June 14, 2026, Lee announced through his Instagram that he would begin his mandatory military service on July 21st.^[84] He enlisted as an active duty soldier in the army with only close friends and family present at his entrance ceremony.^[85]

Extended plays

Single albums

Singles

Unit songs

Collaborations

Digital releases

Self-composition

Group OST

Film

Television series

Television shows

Web shows

Music video appearances

Hosting

Musical play

Concert performances

Solo event

Fanmeet

Endorsements

Pictorial

Art exhibition

Dance battle

Brand event

Awards and nominations

Listicles

Buzzworthy Ranking